Adobe hits out at charity claim

Software vendor Adobe has hit back at comments made by Labor MP Ed Husic after the company was accused of using Australian revenue to cross-subsidise charities in the US.

The claims came during a parliamentary inquiry into IT pricing in Australia held in Sydney on Monday. Adobe, which makes popular programs like Photoshop, Flash and Acrobat, has been accused by consumer advocates and politicians of price gouging because it often charges locals more money to download products from the US.

However Adobe refuted the claims and said it was active in Australian community initiatives.

During the hearing Mr Husic had hit out at Adobe’s practice of forcing local internet users to stay on the Australian version of its website, in a process known as geo-blocking. He also criticised the company for not fronting the inquiry.

“If you go to Adobe’s corporate responsibility website it has a whole raft of organisations it helps and all of them are listed in the United States," he said. “So are we cross-subsidising Adobe’s ability to do good deeds in its home market?"

Adobe made a one-page submission to the inquiry and contributed to the work of the Australian Information Industry Association – an industry lobby group. While the company’s staff did not speak at the hearing they listened in from the public gallery and issued a statement rejecting Mr Husic’s charity claims.

“Australians are not cross-subsidising US charities," a spokeswoman said. “Adobe delivers a range of local community and education programs in Australia including [but not limited to]: UTS Adobe Scholarship ... Adobe Educator Scholarship ... [and the] Adobe Community Grants Program."